Working digestion wonders

Anglian Water Services had processing problems at its Basildon sewage treatment works - until a Vaughan Rotamix system was installed.

MAXIMISING THE benefits of an anaerobic digestion system by achieving a higher gas yield, reducing foaming and eliminating maintenance problems were the important benefits achieved following the installation of a Vaughan Rotamix system at Basildon sewage treatment works.

Anglian Water Services (AWS) at Basildon is responsible for sewage treatment for a residential and business community of more than 300,000 and, during excess conditions, also assists another major treatment works in Tilbury.

Gas compressor mixing systems were originally installed on the two anaerobic digesters, receiving indigenous sludge from the site where it was digested by bacteria to reduce solids and provide a rudimentary cleansing of the sludge mass. The digesters harness the Mesophilic bacteria to volatise organic mass with the sludge, to produce methane.

The methane is stored in gas bags and then used to heat the digester boilers, which in turn heat the pasteurisers and ultimately provide heating for their office buildings at the Basildon site.

Also, the compressors required high levels of maintenance and were proving costly to keep running, furthermore, as deposition increased, the maintenance issues escalated.

In addition, foaming issues were common and although the gas mixing process was not the primary cause it certainly exacerbated the problem.

Not only did the rag mass reweaving within the digester impair their efficiency, it also caused blockage problems in the heat exchangers and further downstream pumps and systems. Two years ago, AWS decided to replace the gas compressor type mixers with the Rotamix systems.

A spokesman at Basildon STW says: "In the two years since installing the Vaughan Rotamix systems, we are confident that we have seen an increase - although this has not been quantified - in the gas yield from the digesters.

"We think the system has contributed toward there being a reduction in foaming problems, although we are dosing anti-foam, which we were not doing prior to the new mixer installation. So, overall, we have reduced operational costs."

Rag issuesFurthermore, AWS confirms that since installing the Rotamix system the digester temperature range from upper sludge level to tank floor has remained a constant ± 1°C; mixing has improved; volatisation of solids is better; gas production has increased; and the constant rag issues have been significantly reduced.

AWS adds that the externally-mounted pumpset and in-situ adjustable design make accessibility simple. The performance of the Vaughan Chopper pump has significantly reduced maintenance expenditure. After carrying out the annual inspection on digester pumps 1 and 2, which had been running for 12 months 24/7, all wet end chopping components were showing no wear.

AWS feels that once the two systems are optimised and the operational philosophy is modified they will potentially realise four to five years normal operation before any replacement spares are required.